DeepMind's AI can spot eye disease just as well as top doctors

DeepMind’s artificial intelligence can now spot key signs of eye disease as well as the world’s top doctors.

Anonymous diagnostic data from almost 15,000 NHS patients was used to help the AI learn how to spot 10 key features of eye disease from complex optical coherence tomography (OCT) retinal scans.

An OCT scan uses light rather than X-rays or ultrasound to generate 3D images of the back of the eye, revealing abnormalities that may be signs of disease.

Advertisement

The system has the potential to prevent irreversible sight loss by ensuring that patients with the most serious eye conditions receive early treatment.

Too much information

DeepMind’s new system was developed alongside scientists at Moorfields, University College London.

Pearse Keane, from Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in London, said: “The number of eye scans we’re performing is growing at a pace much faster than human experts are able to interpret them.

“There is a risk that this may cause delays in the diagnosis and treatment of sight-threatening diseases, which can be devastating for patients. The AI technology we’re developing is designed to prioritise patients who need to be seen and treated urgently by a doctor or eye care professional.

“If we can diagnose and treat eye conditions early, it gives us the best chance of saving people’s sight.”

The study showed that it was able to triage patients with more than 50 eye conditions correctly in more than 94 per cent of cases, matching the performance of leading experts from around the world.

The programme does not make a definitive diagnosis of its own. But on the basis of clinical signs such as holes in the macular, the central region of the retina, or blocked retinal veins, it can swiftly recommend which patients should be seen urgently by a specialist or simply placed under observation.

In many cases blindness can be prevented by the early detection and treatment of eye diseases such as macular degeneration and glaucoma.

Mustafa Suleyman, co-founder and head of Applied AI at DeepMind Health, said: “These incredibly exciting results take us one step closer to that goal and could, in time, transform the diagnosis, treatment and management of patients with sight-threatening eye conditions, not just at Moorfields, but around the world.”

The team believes the AI could be rolled out across 30 UK hospitals in less than three years.

Brain damage spotted

The study was one of two demonstrating the effectiveness of AI screening of patients.

The other programme, developed in the US, was able to identify signs of brain damage caused by stroke, haemorrhage and hydrocephalus from CT (computed tomography) X-ray scans in just 1.2 seconds.

Lead researcher Eric Oermann, from Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, said: “Such a triage system can alert physicians to a critical finding that may otherwise remain in a queue for minutes to hours.”

Derek Hill, Professor of Medical Imaging Science at University College Hospital, said: “These papers provide further evidence that artificial intelligence will soon be routinely supporting doctors in streamlining diagnosis and treatment of numerous illnesses.”